New Delhi, April 2: India is increasingly moving toward a holistic healthcare model that blends modern technology with traditional medical systems, a vision highlighted at the 4th Annual ITW Summit on “Advancing Holistic Health through Innovation, Technology, and Tradition.”
The summit, organised by the Illness to Wellness Foundation, brought together policymakers, healthcare leaders, and experts to discuss strategies for transforming India’s healthcare system from a treatment-focused approach to one centred on prevention and overall well-being.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of AYUSH, Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, emphasised the importance of integrating traditional systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy with modern medicine. He noted that these systems promote a balance between mind, body, and soul and can play a key role in tackling lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
Jadhav also highlighted the need to leverage digital technologies to scientifically validate and globally promote India’s traditional healthcare knowledge, stating that preventive healthcare must begin with lifestyle changes at the individual level.
Rajesh Bhushan, former Union Health Secretary and Chairperson of the Governing Council at the Illness to Wellness Foundation, stressed the need to redefine healthcare beyond curative services. He underlined the importance of incorporating preventive, promotive, palliative, and rehabilitative care, much of which can be delivered at the community level.
Bhushan further pointed to the growing role of digital health infrastructure, including initiatives such as the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) and ABHA, along with artificial intelligence, in improving healthcare accessibility, efficiency, and interoperability across India’s vast population.
Echoing similar views, Anil Rajput, Chairperson of the Advisory Council at the Illness to Wellness Foundation, said that convergence between traditional knowledge, modern medicine, and emerging technologies is essential to build a scalable and evidence-based healthcare system. He added that policy support must be complemented by community awareness and behavioural change to drive meaningful outcomes.
Dr Manoj Nesari, Senior Chief Medical Officer (SAG), highlighted the broader concept of health rooted in Indian traditions, explaining that true wellness goes beyond the absence of disease to include physical, mental, and social well-being aligned with nature.
Meanwhile, Dr T S Kler, Chairman of BLK-Max Heart & Vascular Institute, stressed the importance of preventive healthcare, noting that many premature deaths are linked to lifestyle and environmental factors.
The discussions at the summit underscored a unified vision: integrating traditional wisdom with digital innovation to build a more inclusive, preventive, and patient-centric healthcare ecosystem in India.